ASTM International offers its members many tools and services. Here’s a look at some of the most useful – and fundamental.

By Cicely Enright

May 06, 2020

Regs — Or, Regulations Governing ASTM Technical Committees (aka The Regs), provides a set of rules to ensure consensus standards development in accordance with rigorous democratic procedures. Read The Regs in Arabic, Chinese, Korean, Japanese, and Spanish, and see the links below the heading “Standards Development.”

MyASTM — This is the headquarters of ASTM International standards work. As a member, when you log in to your account, you arrive at the virtual gateway to your committee involvement (ballots, meeting materials, and more). On the ASTM homepage, the “Sign In” option is your starting point.

Collaboration Areas — In MyASTM, a collaboration area is the online platform for specific standards activity or on-going administrative efforts, whether a new standard, a revision to an existing one, or strategic planning. A project must be registered to establish the area, and the area includes tools for uploading drafts and files, hosting discussions, contacting collaboration area members, and progress milestone dates. Members see assigned collaboration areas in their MyASTM account.

Form and Style — Whichever title you use for Form and Style for ASTM Standards, this is your guide to how to put together any sort of ASTM International standard. Supported by the ASTM standards department, the manual includes helpful guidance.

Standard Templates — Find the format and required sections for the specific type of standard you’d like to develop. Find STANDARDS TEMPLATES here. 

ILS — If you are working on a test method, the Interlaboratory Study Program staff members can help with your interlaboratory study and/or drafting a precision statement. Start with www.astm.org/ILS. 

Certification — With the support of the Safety Equipment Institute, an ASTM International affiliate, committees can add certification requirements to an existing standard or develop a separate standard to verify product requirements. That in turn helps to satisfy regulations, comply with industry standards, and increase consumer confidence. Learn more about SEI. 

A Few Related Services…

Training — Practical, targeted training about using standards can be found with training and e-learning. Accredited by IACET, the program includes diverse topics from petroleum and the environment to materials and light sport aircraft. Read more about TRAINING.

PTP — Proficiency Testing Programs, accredited by A2LA, give participating labs information about the performance of particular tests as well as data (anonymous) from other labs to help them evaluate and improve capabilities. Programs include petroleum products, plastics, metals, textiles, engine coolants, electrical insulating liquids, and more. Read more on PTP HERE. 

Compass — The Compass platform is the electronic underpinning of your ASTM content, and with it comes tools for annotations, bookmarks, and more. Your virtual standards volume (an ASTM member benefit) is delivered via Compass.

Questions? Your staff manager can help.

REGS CORNER: Definitions

While Form and Style for ASTM Standards covers what’s in a particular type of standard, the Regs defines the types. 

First, a standard:

As used in ASTM International, “a document that has been developed and established within the consensus principles of the Society and that meets the approval requirements of ASTM procedures and regulations.” 

Standards can be any of the following:

A classification is “a systematic arrangement or division of materials, products, systems, or services into groups based on similar characteristics such as origin, composition, properties,
or use.”

A guide is “a compendium of information or series of options that does not recommend a specific course of action.” 

A practice is “a set of instructions for performing one or more specific operations that does not produce a test result.”

A specification is “an explicit set of requirements to be satisfied by a material, product, system,
or service.”

Terminology is “a document comprising definitions of terms; explanations of symbols, abbreviations, or acronyms.” 

And a test method is “a definitive procedure that produces a test result.”